Palast der Republik
Event #2 in Berlin, on January 18, turned out to be a funeral, complete with obituaries, of language worn out. The question at stake was the emptiness of dozens of buzz words that still prevail in social and architectural discourse, suggesting deep understandings, but being excuses for hollow newspeak. Around eighty people, bought a ticket to get into the Palast der Republik, the former House of Parliament of the DDR, now completely stripped and ready for final demolishment. After a tour through this derelict building, which has been subject of propaganda's off all kinds, they were having the right state of mind to terminate some humbug. So, being lit by a late winter sun through the remaining gold brown glass facade, and surrounded by a freezing cold, the crowd attended this ritual of language stripped bare. Away with 'creativity', 'potential', 'culture', 'transparency', '9/11', 'concept', and many other excuses of mindlessness. After one hour of saying goodbye, all that was left was a display of abused terminology. The soon to be destroyed Palast to be the perfect grave for it. Later, people were able to recover a little bit at the Bikini Haus, the new venue for Urban Drift Berlin.